On Stranger Tides...

If only I could tell you why I feel this nervous,
As on stranger tides we sail;
Against the rough waves I will have to steer us,
Because maybe, you'll fail...

If only I could see you when I closed my eye,
And know all that I don't;
That you'd love me as much isn't living a lie,
Because maybe, you won't...

If only I could know who and where you really are,
So that I don't trespass too soon;
In the quest of reaching the farthest star,
Because maybe, you are on the dark side of the moon...

If only He could assure me I haven't sinned,
In still feeling that you and I share a bond;
As if you were my candle in the wind,
And, maybe, my only lotus in the pond...

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But then the morning comes, and we turn back into pumpkins, right? (-Celine, Before Sunrise)

Interview Season 2

In all fairness, the best bit about being a journalist, besides the 'coolness' quotient attached to it, is the fact that Young Turks allows me to meet these 'young' and 'cool-for-real' people and get to know them up-close-and-personal :P

So everytime I check in a new hotel or drive down to a new place, I make mental notes about what feedback I must ping Abbas Slatewala on my BBMessenger.

And everytime I see Harsh Snehanshu's book at the book-store opposite my classes, I smile to myself with pride in acknowledgement of all our conversations.

Its nice to know people like these, who in their own little way, inspire you to be on the other side of the line. To transcend from the interviewer to the interviewee.

God willing- that shall happen someday too :)

37 Minutes...

12.02: Chembur Station. Platform No.2. Local Train boarded.

Window seat (check). One sip of Tang (check). Mp3 player on. ~Metallica~The Unnamed Feeling~...... Emails on BlackBerry 'checked'. Replied. BBM status update (check). Random good morning ping to Juwe (check). Facebooking-NOT (check) :)
~Rammstein~P*ssy!~..... Zu groß. Zu klein. Könnte etwas größer sein :p ↓Volume reduced↓ Mumbai Mirror last page opened. Alpha Triangle (check). Bulls Eye (check). Mensa Puzzle answer 'checked'. Sudoku ignored. Crossword time. ~Scorpions~No one like you~..... ↑Volume increased↑ Station : Vadala Rd.
16 Down: Patrick____ </Vieira! Nopes. Not every Patrick is a Vieira>It says- Australian Tennis Star(6). RAFTER. Patrick Rafter.
24 Across: Indian Mountain Range(8). ARRAVALI

R

A

F

T

E

       A R R A V A L I

Station: Cotton Green. Inside joke with Akanksha and Kajal remembered. Nostalgia (check). ~Guns and Roses~Don’t Cry~..... Arbeitsbuch opened. Hausaufgabe- „Bilden Sie die folgenden Sätze im Partizip-II." Beispiel understood. Zweite Frage attempted. *Stop*. #Random-day-dreaming.

~Give me a whisper… and give me a sigh
Give me a kiss before you… tell me goodbye....~

#Random-minute-of-staring-out-of-the-window. #Into-nothingness. #Random-thoughts. Mp3 Player – paused.
#Rewind.
#Replay.


~Give me a whisper… and give me a sigh
Give me a kiss before you… tell me goodbye...~

#Random-smile. *Okay*. *Back*. Dritte Frage. Boredom (check). Arbeitsbuch closed. 4553 ‘checked’. Posts ‘liked’. Facebooking- NOT (uncheck) :P Station: Masjid. Books put in. Arsenal muffler tied to bag straightened. Pony-tail redone. One sip of tang (check). Get up. Stand near the pole. ~Pearl Jam~ Black~.... One long glance at the station (check). Announcements (check). Armed guards (check). Many trains (check). Many people (check). Kasab (uncheck). :Thankgoodness:

Station: Chatrapatti Shivaji Terminus. One Look at the big circular clock.

12: 39

One-way </insert: mon/tue/wed/thurs/fri> day journey(check).
Oh monotony, thou art a heartless bitch.
:facepalm:

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Where my shoes, just to see, what its like, to be me, I'll be you, lets trade shoes, just to see what it'd be like to... (-Eminem, Beautiful)

In conversation with Entertainment Engineers!

Wow. This was absolutely thrilling! Ooooh to be a journalist :P

PS: These people really are something :-S Its great that the youth of this country has the vision to step beyond the safe-zone of college placements and doesn't fear taking the risk of breaking the code :)

Kuddos to smartness and innovation!

PPS: I'm on a journalistic high! But I need to get back to German books again. So need a sabbatical from awesomeness in general. But I really want to get done with classes already so that I can do all the other exciting assignments I have! Anyway. Back to German now. Laters people!

Gchat:

me: back

Hitler: Hmmm

me: Sorry. So you were saying...

As guest Columnist...

Please do check out my article as guest columnist at CNBC Young Turks online-media portal:

http://yourstory.in/expert-talk/guest-column/5776-isnt-it-the-business-of-business-schools-to-create-entrepreneurs

If Wishes were not Horses...but Flights... @cheap-rates...

Dear God,

First of all- and above everything else so mundane, let me thank You quickly for letting me get the highest in German finally this level and paying off my hardwork. I've always missed it with a whisker and I'm so happy this time 'round You gave me what I genuinely deserved. As You may have noticed in recent times, or..You may have not.. really depending on how much attention You pay... I've taken the term 'good daughter' to an entirely new level- just like I promised I would in the last sentimental conversation we had.
Well. It was hardly a conversation. I did all the talking...and You know.. but hey! hey. Its not You. Its just me. Its the same way everywhere... common sentiment... with family...friends.. I keep talking and..and they have to listen..because I just have so much to say..and I really need to.. I mean.. omg! STOP!:O

So. Like I was saying- I had totally promised You that I'm going to give it my all to be the daughter my parents want me to be. And I think I did/am doing fair justice. I topped my class (academics check), danced centre-stage at the academy's show (extra-cirricular check), and I've been cooking dinner regularly-so well- that even Abhishek bhaiya had a change of opinion from 'edible' to 'tasty'(domestic life check) :smirks:
Truth be told, I'm stumped by my personal awesomeness. How do I manage to be so puuurffeckto!? :P Well its a lot of perseverance and determination- but No. Maybe its just You. You make me believe. You give me direction. You acquiesced me in achieving all that I ask for. And You give me the world's best parents, a brother who pretty much means everything to me and friends(social life check) who make this life so worthwhile :)
Special thanks for Tanvi, Rita, Shweta, Akanksha, Meggy and Kajal (Guy friends are cool. Girl friends are AWEZOME :D) :D :P

Okay I'm seriously like- drifting. The whole purpose of the above drama was to thank You for bestowing upon me the choiciest of blessings. And I totally intend to thank You at the temple too... but technology You know- way faster. Also, I'm pretty sure You read my blogs, for who doesn't? Statistically, My blog gets viewed from Mountain View,Califrornia to ... Budapest, Hungary...to New Delhi, India... to Istanbul, Turkey... na na na na na... via via... to Bad Oldesloe, Schleswig-Holstein- Germany. Jesus. Didnt even know such a place existed.

Anyway- Cut to the point. You've been far too kind. And I'd also like to believe I earned my share too. I mean- I really try to be a good girl and do everything that makes You, my family and my friends proud to know me. And I'm on it Sir! Im totally on it. I'll do bigger and greater things in life and make everyone assositaed with me happy. Albeit, thats a whole lot of pressure. But You know whats that thing Wenger says about pressure? "If You don't want to live with pressure, You don't want to win championships.”
Aww.... I totally want to win ze championsheepsss... and I want to be Your favorite leeteel girl too! You like me! And I-LIKE-THAT :D

And so... ahem... *cough* *cough* ..I was just thinking how difficult it must be for You to... You know, handle Your daily regular dealings and transactions of less economic and more social in nature, and minding round everyone's lives. When I mind others' life- they snub me and tell me to mind my own :O And they are more than just happy to let You intervene with theirs! :O Its divine it seems! That's some justice. So yes- this entire ordeal of figuring out what a certain human being wants and then 'conspiring the entire universe to help 'em achieve it' and blah blah blah... I know. Boring. Tedious. These conspiracy theories need such a lot of manipulation and brain-storming and algorithms and all of that.... sigh.

SO :D :D :D
I was thinking :D :D :D
Why dont I :D :D :D
Make Your rather hectic schedule... a tad much simpler :D :D :D
Anddddddd...so......
Tell me- are You excited to know what I am to propose, eh? :D :D :D


:|

Perhaps I should have just gone ahead without waiting for audience participation :|

So basically- I've made your work easier and prepared a list... and,
Here are the places I want to go :| --------->

1) Emirates Stadium, London
2) The Large Hadron Collider (CERN), Franco-Swiss border near Geneva- Switzerland.
3) The Trevi Fountain, Rome ( Fontane di Amorrrrrrrrre)
4) Times Square, New York
5) Schwarzwald (The Black Forest), Baden-Württemberg- Germany.
6) Venice, Italy :-)
7) Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia
8) The Wagah border , Indopak border
9) The Great Savannahs, Kenya
10) Anarkali Bazaar, Lahore


:|

Oh preeeeeettyyy Pleassssssssse!!I'm serious! Now, Abhishek bhaiya says he'll take me to Emirates someday- and knowing the Arsenal Fan he is-I kinda trust him to too. Dad will finance my Melbourne trip. So that takes two off Your workload... Now all You need to do is focus on my 8 adventurous trips :D You really need to make these 8(+2) trips happen to me! C'mon!! You need to do this for my awesomeness! I deeeeeeserveee eeet! Puh-leaze? :(
Oh and okay. I kinda always wanted to go to Venice for my honeymoon... so now- all You have to do is- organise only 7 trips for me+ one trip with me for Abhishek (that's a favour on him not me)+ Melbourne trip (I already promised Shweta)+ one husband who would take me to Venice for my honeymoon :|
I think that ought to be the most simplified, effortless and unchallenging to-do list in Your BlackBerry. Plus, I think it would also be a great step for humanity. (Don't ask me how- these people from NGO's say this line always works... :-/)


But honestly, I don't think my wishes are one bit extravagant. I have weighed the odds against the evens, done my due diligence and eventually zeroed-down to these top 10. For instance- I even want to go to Spain... and drift in Tokyo! But I had to set priorities, no? I cant be greedy! :)
Look, I really want to see these places in this one mortal lifetime.. and sigh. Here's the deal. I'm, going back to being the good daughter- loving sister- dependable friend- academic achiever- laurels winner and assorted awesome chick...and meanstwhile I'm hoping You would fit the pieces of my life in the correct locations and permit me, like You very kindly always have, realise my every little dream :)

However- there is no pressure on You whatsoever and if You may You can- this very moment Sir- refuse, on the face of mine, to grant me my wishes!! [-(

Fine. I'm interpreting Your silence as tacit compliance. Bye.



Thanking you in anticipation of flight-tickets,

Yours lovingly,

Abhilasha Dafria

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And baby be a simple kind of man...Oh, won't you do this, for me son, if you can? (-Lynrd Skynrd)

Things that you should not do on Facebook. Really.

Here is the list of next 10 things NOT TO DO on Facebook besides the ones already said.

11)Edit every picture into B/W. Seriously,if only skin problems could really be concealed by cheap imitation of a retro look!

12) Thanking everyone who 'likes' an update.
Pinku likes your photo 2 minutes ago
Your comment: Thank you Pinku :) few seconds ago
Changu likes your photo 1 minute ago
Your comment: Thanks Changu :)<3

13)Adding everyone right out of the Facebook Suggestions column. Arre bhai, facebook ne suggest kiya hai... nahi add kiya, toh kya Zuckerberg bura maan jaayega?

14) Inapplicable usage of the 'heart' smiley. I know a character "<" and a number "3", when put together, miraculously turn into a muscular organ that provides a continuous blood circulation through the cardiac cycle and is one of the most vital organs in the human body. But that's technology. Move on, hmmkay?

15) Changing your relationship status from single to 'in a relationship', suck all the attention you otherwise don't get in life, and then change back to 'single' scoffing it off as a mistake. Er, really? Or was it love, sex aur dhoka darling... Love sex aur dhokaa?

16)Getting your world web widely declared boyfriend/ girlfriends to like absolutely everything you post. We do understand that you are in love. Unsuspectingly, it transpired out of genuine liking for each other- en la totalidad. Really think you have to still specially like about every SM/ photo update by your lover? Is this some sort of reassurance? Get a room (wall?) the two of you!

17) Uploading pictures clicked in bathrooms of 5 star hotels. EPIC. Washbasins, tissue papers, etc make a scenic background O despairing one!

18) Family members living under the same roof communicating through FB. Lameness glorified. Sometimes siblings fight on FB SMs... maybe to look cute or something. And then random others put in their 'lolz' or 2 cents of advice. Why would you make such a joke of your existence and try so hard to look happy? (PS: Mom take note :| :P DONOT mock me on FB :|)

19) Typing long status messages with elongated spellings. "Goddddddddd.........haddddddd suchhhhhhhh ffffunnnnnnn in mattttthh classss yaaarrrrr!" :-| Dear disgrace to literacy, do you understand what an eye-sore your SM is? And basics, lets move to fundamentals- When you create 'stress' it has to be on the vowels not the consonants. Or are you an idiot, idiot?

20) The 'Candid' posers. You mean, you'd be just living a normal life and the cameras would catch you? Are you a celeb or something? Its very obvious, you have posed and requested/begged someone to click you whilst you project yourself as a nonchalant icon. Nice try.

And Finally, a special note to the 95% of those who are blocked off my notifications.

(a) The 'some people' taunts: Why do you think the little personalization space is for you to hurl indirect taunts at your enemies? 'Some people can stoop so low...god, just learned that today' ' will not be bothered by some people who are trying sooo hard to hurt me'. Well, some people can go suck an egg if they are coward enough in using a social networking site for avenging insults :)

(b)The nonsense sports-updates women. Let me take you to the bedrock of my frustration- Theres so much that goes into a 90 mins of football or the 20 overs of cricket or the straight sets in tennis- You ought to Respect the game. Stop mocking womankind by capital bull-shit like "Awww... Casillas is minnneee...okay?" No game is about hot men only. And Im not gay.
My parents had got me checked.

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People call those imperfections, but no, that's the good stuff. (-Sean, Good Will Hunting)